Part 7 (1/2)

And in those days, happily still far off, there will be many another old gray-beard with such memories; unless they are all to wear out their days uselessly regretting that they are no longer young, there must be clubs where they may exchange reminiscences. These need not be pretentious affairs. Let there be a strong odor of burnt castor oil and gasoline as you enter the door; a wide view from the verandas of earth and sky; maps on the walls; and on the roof a canvas ”pantaloon-leg” to catch the wind. Nothing else matters very much.

There they will be as happy as any old airman can expect to be, arguing about the winds and disputing one another's judgment about the height of the clouds.

If you say to one of them, ”Tell us something about the Great War,” as likely as not he will tell you a pleasant story enough. And the pity of it will be that, hearing the tale, a young man will long for another war. Then you must say to him, ”But what about the sh.e.l.l fire?

Tell us something of machines falling in flames.” Then, if he is an honest old airman whose memory is still unimpaired, the young one who has been listening will have sober second thoughts.

VI

A BALLOON ATTACK

”I'm looking for two balloonatics,” said Talbott, as he came into the messroom; ”and I think I've found them.”

Percy, Talbott's orderly, Tiffin the steward, Drew, and I were the only occupants of the room. Percy is an old _legionnaire_, crippled with rheumatism. His active service days are over. Tiffin's working hours are filled with numberless duties. He makes the beds, and serves food from three to five times daily to members of the Escadrille Lafayette. These two being eliminated, the ident.i.ty of the balloonatics was plain.

”The orders have just come,” Talbott added, ”and I decided that the first men I met after leaving the bureau would be balloonatics. Virtue has gone into both of you. Now, if you can make fire come out of a Boche sausage, you will have done all that is required. Listen. This is interesting. The orders are in French, but I will translate as I read:--

On the umteenth day of June, the escadrilles of Groupe de Combat Blank [that's ours] will cooperate in an attack on the German observation balloons along the sector extending from X to Y. The patrols to be furnished are: (1) two patrols of protection, of five _avions_ each, by the escadrilles Spa. 87 and Spa. 12; (2) four patrols of attack, of three _avions_ each, by the escadrilles Spa. 124 [that's us], Spa. 93, Spa. 10, and Spa. 12.

The attack will be organized as follows: on the day set, weather permitting, the two patrols of protection will leave the field at 10.30 A.M. The patrol of Spa. 87 will rendezvous over the village of N----. The patrol of protection of Spa. 12 will rendezvous over the village of C----. At 10.45, precisely, they will start for the lines, crossing at an alt.i.tude of thirty-five hundred metres. The patrol furnished by Spa. 87 will guard the sector from X to T, between the town of O----and the two enemy balloons on that sector. The patrol furnished by Spa. 12 will guard the sector from T to Y, between the railway line and the two enemy balloons on that sector. Immediately after the attack has been made, these formations will return to the aerodrome.

At 10.40 A.M. the four patrols of attack will leave the field, and will rendezvous as follows. [Here followed the directions.] At 10.55, precisely, they will start for the lines, crossing at an approximate alt.i.tude of sixteen hundred metres, each patrol making in a direct line for the balloon a.s.signed to it. Numbers 1 and 2 of each of these patrols will carry rockets. Number 3 will fly immediately above them, offering further protection in case of attack by enemy aircraft. Number 1 of each patrol will first attack the balloon. If he fails, number 2 will attack. If number 1 is successful, number 2 will then attack the observers in their parachutes. If number 1 fails, and number 2 is successful, number 3 will attack the observers. The patrol will then proceed to the aerodrome by the shortest route.

Squadron commanders will make a return before noon to-day, of the names of pilots designated by them for their respective patrols.

In case of unfavorable weather, squadron commanders will be informed of the date to which the attack has been postponed.

Pilots designated as numbers 1 and 2 of the patrols of attack will be relieved from the usual patrol duty from this date. They will employ their time at rocket shooting. A target will be in place on the east side of the field from 1.30 P.M. to-day.

”Are there any remarks?” said Talbott, as if he had been reading the minutes at a debating-club meeting.

”Yes,” said J. B. ”When is the umteenth of June?”

”Ah, mon vieux! that's the question. The commandant knows, and he isn't telling. Any other little thing?”

I suggested that we would like to know which of us was to be number 1.

”That's right. Drew, how would you like to be the first rocketeer?”

”I've no objection,” said J. B., grinning as if the frenzy of balloonaticking had already got into his blood.

”Right! that's settled. I'll see your mechanicians about fitting your machines for rockets. You can begin practice this afternoon.”

Percy had been listening with interest to the conversation.

”You got some nice job, you boys. But if you bring him down, there will be a lot of chuckling in the trenches. You won't hear it, but they will all be saying, 'Bravo! Epatant!' I've been there. I've seen it and I know. Does 'em all good to see a sausage brought down.

'There's another one of their eyes knocked out,' they say.”

”Percy is right,” said J. B. as we were walking down the road.

”Destroying a balloon is not a great achievement in itself. Of course, it's so much equipment gone, so much expense added to the German war-budget. That is something. But the effect on the infantrymen is the important thing. Boche soldiers, thousands of them, will see one of their balloons coming down in flame. They will be saying, 'Where are our airmen?' like those old poilus we met at the station when we first came out. It's bound to influence morale. Now let's see. The balloon, we will say, is at sixteen hundred metres. At that height it can be seen by men on the ground within a radius of--”

and so forth and so on.